Folding swing stage



April 20, 1954 P. P. woBoRn., sa, Erm. 2,576,065

y FOLDING SWING STAGE Filed My25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. jueler Wobaril il. Bw'zlyhl Z2 'Zur een,

April 20, 1954 P. P. woBoR|L-, SR., ETAL 2,676,066

FOLDING SWING STAGE Filed May 25, 1951 2 sheets-sheet' 2 INVENTOR. Peler P Wooz-Z Sz.' Dwiyhl D. Slur een L75 MM Patented Apr. 20, 1954 FOLDING SWING STAGE Peter P. Woboril, Sr., and Dwight D. Sturgeon, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to The Woboril Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 25, 1951, Serial No. 228,146

3 Claims.

This invention relates to swing stages such as .are used by painters and the like for working on Vthe outside walls of buildings. Y

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide a swing stage that is light in weight, simple and efficient in operation and which can be readily and economically manufactured and used; to provide for collapsing the guard rail support structure into compact position with the main stage structure; to interconnect the stirrups to which the support cables are attached and the guard rail support structure so that they move conjointly; to permit relative translatory movement between the stirrups and the support structure; to pivotally mount the stirrups in the end rungs of the main stage structure; to employ tubular aluminum members in the fabrication of the stage and some of the component parts.

. Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

This invention is disclosed in the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and it comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplied in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. l

For a more complete understanding of the anature and scope of this invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a swing stage constructed in accordance with this invention, Ythe stage being shown in the extended operative position;

Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure l, showing the swing stage in the folded or collapsed position;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional View taken generally along the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional View, at an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 4 4 f of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View, taken generally along the line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken generally along the line 5 6 of Figure 1, certain i parts of the back member being broken away for the purpose of conserving space; and

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view taken generally along the line 1 7 of Figure 6 to show the tubular construction of the back member.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2 A ol the drawings it will be observed that the referencevcharacter Ii) designates, generally, a folding swing stage constructed in accordance with this invention. It includes a main stage struc- -truss arch 2|. swing stage from the wall of the building and at Vthe same time reducing to a minimum friction vherebetween when it is moved up and down rollers ture, indicated generally at II, which is constructed somewhat in the form of a ladder. The main stage structure II has associated therewith a guard rail and support structure therefor that are indicated, generally, at I2. 'I'hey will be described in more detail hereinafter. The main stage structure I I includes a generally rectangular frame that is designated, generally, at I3. The frame includes longitudinally extending front and back members I4 and I5 interconnected at their ends by end members IB. I'hese members preferably are formed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum and are tubular as illustrated in Figure 7. Their ends are beveled as illustrated and they are welded together at the juxtaposed portions so as to provide a unitary construction. For illustrative purposes it is pointed out that the frame I3 is 192 inches long and twenty inches wide. However, it will be understood that it may be longer or shorter and wider or narrower as the occasion may require.

With a view to providing a support for painters or other workmen using the swing stage I0, intermediate rungs are located between the front and back members M and I5. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, nine intermediate rungs I9 are used. End rungs 20 are located near the end members I B and are slightly larger in diameter than the intermediate rungs for a purpose which will be apparent presently. Preferably the rungs I9 and 2D are formed of aluminum tubing and they project throughusuitable openings in the front and back members I4 and I5 and are secured thereto by welding,

Midway between the ends of the frame I3 there is positioned a truss arch 2| over which a guy wire 22 is trained. The ends of the guy wire 22 loop over the end rungs 2!! and they can be tightened by means of turnbuckles 23 which are located in the guy wire 22 on opposite sides of the For the purpose of spacing the -24 are provided. They are carried by means of `supports 25 which extend laterally from the front member I4 as shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings.

It is desirable to space the rectangular frame -I3 from the ground when the stage is there located. For this purpose leg members 2E- can be of the end members IE.

Flooring 21 extends over the rungs I9 and2ll.

v'It maybe formed of two sheets of aluminum, one' at each end of the frame I3, positioned there- 3 within and Secured to the rungs I9 and 20 by welding or bolting as may be desired. It will be understood that wood planks can be employed in lieu of the aluminum sheets for the flooring 21.

With a view to supporting the swing stage I9 from depending cables in conventional manner, stirrups 29 are pro-vided, one at each end of the frame I3 as shown. Each of the stirrups 29 is formed of solid aluminum rod and each has a centrally located eye section 39 to which the depending cables can be attached. As shown more clearly in Figure 4 of the drawings, each of the stirrups 29 has the ends 3i thereof turned inwardly and telescoped with a stirrup sleeve 32 which functions as a bushing and is rotatably mounted within the associated end rung 2U as shown, This provides a rigid construction and yet permits the pivoting ofthe stirrups 29 with respect to the frame i3.

Extending along and above the back member I is a guard rail 35. tubular aluminum. The guard rail 35 is pivotally connected at 35 to rail supports. 37 which are preferably formed of tubular aluminum. At their lower ends the rail supports 31 are pivotally connected atr 318 to the :back member I5. This pivoted construction permits the guard lfl 3 5 to be swung from the extended position shown in Figure 1 to the collapsed position shown in Figure 2.

1t is desirable that the stirrups 29 be interconnected with the guard rail 35. For this purpose stirrup brackets 39 are employed. They are formed preferably of aluminum rod and as shown, are looped over the ends of the guard rail 35. The ends of the stirrup brackets 39 are welded to the stirrups 29 so as to provide an integral construction.

In order to hold the stirrup brackets 39 in proper. operative relation with respect to the guard rail `35 and at the same time permit relative translatory movement therebetween stirrup retainers 'i9 are located at the ends of the guard rail 35. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, they eX- tend over the stirrup brackets 39 and there is considerable room for relative movement of the latter with respect to the guard rail 35.

Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawvings and described hcreinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is: l. A folding swing stage comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular frame formed by elongated front and back members joined by Vend members, rungs extending between said front and back members in spaced relation, rollers and supports therefor carried by said front member and projecting therefrom to engage a building wall and space said frame therefrom, flooring extending over said rungs and disposed within said frame, a rail above and parallel to said back member, a plurality of rail supports pivoted at their lower ends to said back member and at their upper ends to said rail whereby theV latter ,can be swung from an extended to a collapsed position With respect to said frame, stirrups pivoted in the ends of and extending above said frame for attachmentto support cables, a strrup bracket secured to each stirrup and looped over said rail near each endl and a stirrup retainer secured to the upper side of said rail and over'- Preferably it is formed of Number bination, a generally rectangular frame formed by elongated front and back members joined by end members, rungs extending between said front and back` members in spaced relation, rollers and supports therefor carried by said front member and projecting therefrom to engage a building Wall and space said frame therefrom, flooring extending over said rungs and disposed within said frame, a rail above and parallel to said back member, a plurality of rail supports pivoted at their lower ends to said back member and at their upper ends to said rail whereby the latter can be swung from an extended to av collapsed position with respect to said frame, stirrups pivoted in the end rungs and extending above said frame for attachment to support cables, a stirrup bracket secured to each stirrup and looped over said rail near each end, and a stirrup retainer secured to the upper side of said r-ail and overlying each stirrup bracket for hingedly interconnecting them and permitting relative translatory movement when said rail and stirrups are swung between their extended and collapsed positions.

3. A folding swing stage comprising, in combination, a generally rectangular frame formed by elongated front and back members joined by end members, leg members depending from said end members for spacing said frame from the ground, rungs extending between said front and back members in spaced relation, rollers and supports therefor carried by said front member and projecting therefrom to engage a building wall and space said frame therefrom, flooring extending over said rungs and disposed within said frame, a rail above and parallel to said back member, a plurality lof rail supports pivot-,ed at their lower ends to said back member and at their upper ends to said rail whereby the latter can be swung from an extended to a collapsed position with respect to said frame, stirrups pivoted in the end rungs and extending above said frame with integral centrally located eye sections for attachment to support cables, a rstirrup bracket secured to each stirrup and loODGd over said rail near each end, and a stirrup retainer secured to the upper side of said rail and overlying each stirrup bracket for hingedly interconnecting them and permitting relative translatory movement therebetween when said rail and stirrups are swung between their extende and collapsed positions. Y

References Cited in theV file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 284,308 Klein Sept. 4, 1883 354,880 Amon Dec. 28, 1886 401,410 Carmichael Apr. 16, 1889 984,063 Berg Feb. 14, 1911 1,415,554 Hatch May 9, 1922 1,548,971 Denniston July 21, 1925 1,568,285 Lackner Jan. 5, A1926 1,570,496 Jones Jan. 19, 1926 2,198,960 Deck Apr. 30, 1940 21433,859

therebetween 

